Solo

It’s hard to believe that it took me almost 29 years and 26 countries to travel solo. It’s something I’ve always told myself I would do one day, another thing to push me farther outside of my comfort zone. But when I said goodbye to Nate last Friday night, standing out front of the Alobar1000 hostel, I had knots in my stomach. I didn’t want to leave him, I was nervous about feeling lonely, putting myself out there to meet new people. I carried my backpack upstairs to a tiny dorm room and settled into my bottom bunk, took a deep breath, and steadied myself – preparing to switch on for the next week, hoping to find some good people to spend my days with while in Kathmandu.

It wasn’t hard to find them. Alobar is the home base of so many solo travelers, and within minutes of settling myself on the pillows on the floor of the candlelit rooftop, I felt myself also settle into a community of likeminded people. First-time and seasoned travelers, trekkers and volunteers, wanderers and free-spirits. I met wonderful people from New Zealand, America, Germany, Belgium, Israel, Australia, and the Netherlands. I’d forgotten how easy it is to form connections with others while traveling, but was instantly reminded of the easy bond that comes from sharing a unique experience at the same time in the same place as another.

With no plans for ten days, I could do whatever I wanted. I extended my stay in Kathmandu. I met the sweetest Dutch girl who joined me on a spontaneous trek through the Kathmandu Valley to Nagarkot and Namo Buddha. Eline and I walked for four days in the heat, up thousands of stairs, through jungle, and on busy Nepalese roads. We adopted a dog along the way, as well as an American backpacker named Nate. We got lost. We watched the most beautiful sunrise over the Himalayan mountains. We shared stories for hours and walked in silence when we needed it. We sat in bed and shared what we were grateful for each night. We barely knew each other when we strapped on our boots and bags, but we saw each other at our dirtiest, stinkiest, grumpiest, and most vulnerable, and we became close friends.

Sunrise over Nagarkot

The road to Namo Buddha

Within minutes of returning back to Alobar at the end of the trek, a crew of mates formed from around the world. While I thought I would have time to relax before heading off for three weeks of hard manual labour at my volunteer placement, I found myself saying yes to every experience. We’d wander the streets of Thamel together in search of chocolate momos (yes, they exist), the best late-night hole-in-the-wall dal bhat, the cheapest patchwork overalls. We’d pick up strangers along the way, sip saffron tea with locals, or just settle into the rooftop of our hostel to play spoons late into the night. On our last night, we watched the sunset over the full moon at Kathmandu’s monkey temple, and it was so special to share the beauty of that moment with some truly wonderful and inspiring new friends.

 

Julie, me, and Eline at Leopard Cafe

The week was not what I expected. There were ups, downs, and plenty of adventures. There were deep conversations and hard goodbyes, despite only knowing these people for a short while. There were plans to meet again and hopes that the universe would throw us onto each other’s paths somewhere down the line.

Today I left Thamel, and it was hard to say goodbye to a place that has felt a little like home for me over the last few days. Tomorrow I head out to Hetauda with All Hands and Hearts for three weeks, and I hope this solo travel experience will only get better from here on out.